CHRIST AND THE LAW by W. W. Prescott

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 14, 1897

CHRIST AND THE LAW.

By W. W. Prescott

The True Relation between the Law and the Gospel.

Clear views concerning God’s plan of salvation for us enable us to co-operate intelligently with him in this work. In his word God has made a revelation of his purpose concerning man, and has set forth the means of accomplishing that purpose, and in the life of Christ, our Example, we have the perfect illustration of its meaning. We may therefore confidently look to the instruction of God’s word, as illustrated in the life of Christ, for light upon every question pertaining to our salvation.

Man was created perfect in his being and in harmony with God; but “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and the Gospel is God’s means for restoring in man and to man what was lost through sin. It is defined to be “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom. 1:16); and the reason for this is stated to be because “therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith” (verse 17). But this righteousness which is the power of the Gospel, is inseparable from Christ, “the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:24), who is “the Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6), “who of God is made unto us . . . righteousness” (1 Cor. 1:30).

Thus it appears that the Gospel becomes the power of God unto salvation because of the righteousness which is revealed in it, and that this righteousness is found only in Christ. God has said, through the prophet, “Thy people also shall be all righteous” (Isa. 60:21); we are also commanded, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48); and this righteousness and this perfection are revealed in the Gospel of Christ, which is “God’s joyful message . . . concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory [righteousness, or character] of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” This is the Gospel.

Function of Law and Gospel.

But because “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16), and because we “are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14), some have fallen into the error of supposing that Christians have nothing whatever to do with the law of God. It is therefore well worth our while to consider the purposes served by the law, and the relation between the law and the Gospel. The Scripture says, “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20); and, “All unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17). Thus sin (unrighteousness) is revealed by the law, and righteousness is revealed in the Gospel. The one shows the need, and the other supplies the need. The one makes known the disease (sin), and the other provides the remedy (righteousness of Christ). The law reveals sin or unrighteousness by defining righteousness. “Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.” “My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Ps. 119:137, 138, 172.

In the law is set forth the standard of that righteousness which God requires of us, and the object of Christ’s work for us is that that righteousness, defined by the law and revealed in the Gospel, may be fulfilled in us. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.” Rom. 8:3, 4.

The work of Christ in behalf of man is more than to pay the penalty for a broken law. It includes the bringing of man into harmony with that law. For this it became necessary not only that righteousness should be imputed to us, but that it should also be imparted to us: not only that Christ should live for us, but that he should live in us. Thus Christ fulfilled the law (Matt. 5:17) by keeping his Father’s commandments (John 15:10), in order that he, by dwelling in our hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17), might become the law written in our hearts (Heb. 8:10), that so “we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. Thus God, who requires the righteousness of the law in our characters, has made provision that this righteousness shall be brought to us in Christ, who is the center of the Gospel.

Let it be clearly understood that righteousness does not come by the law. The scripture says, “If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Gal. 2:21. It is “the righteousness which is of God by faith” which we must have, and we receive this righteousness as the free gift of God in receiving Jesus Christ; but if we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of his holy law. We do not earn salvation by our obedience; for salvation is the free gift of God, to be received by faith. But obedience is the fruit of faith. That so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from the obligation of obedience to God, is not faith, but presumption. Thus righteousness by faith is the character of God, expressed in the precepts of his law, wrought out for us in the life of Christ, wrought out in us through faith in Christ, and expressed before the world in a life in harmony with the law of God.

The Law a Witness.

When this experience is attained by faith, the next purpose of the law is to witness to the genuine character of the righteousness thus received. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Rom. 3:21. The law reveals sin by defining righteousness, by showing us the character of God. The Gospel reveals righteousness. We receive this righteousness as the free gift of God in receiving Jesus Christ. Then the same law which revealed our need of righteousness bears witness to the fact that the righteousness which we have received through faith in Christ is the very righteousness that it demands, but can not confer. This was God’s plan for all who would believe in Christ. God offered them in his Son the perfect righteousness of the law. If they would open their hearts fully to receive Christ, then the very life of God, his love, would dwell in them, transforming them into his own image; and thus through God’s free gift they would possess the righteousness which the law requires.

What Did Christ Abolish?

The purpose of Christ’s work for us has been strangely perverted. It is true that he came to “abolish” something, and to “take away” something, and to “destroy” something, and “to change” something; but it is important that we know just what it was that he abolished, and what it was that he took away, and what it was that he destroyed, and what it was that he changed. Let the Scripture make the matter clear. In 2 Tim. 1:10 it is said of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, that he “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.” Death is the result of sin. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15. But “sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. Christ came to abolish that which is the result of being out of harmony with the law, and he did it, not by abolishing the law, but by bringing us into harmony with the law.

What did Christ come to take away?—“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins.” 1 John 3:4, 5. Sin is lawlessness. Christ was manifested to take away, not the law, but lawlessness.

What did Christ come to destroy? Not the law. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matt. 5:17. The true answer is found in another scripture: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. What are the works of the devil?—Those that are contrary to God’s law. “The devil sinneth from the beginning.” And sin is always “the transgression of the law.” Furthermore, Christ came to destroy the devil himself. Satan had introduced into this world a course of action contrary to God’s law, and Christ’s work was to put an end to that course of action and the cause of it. In order to do that, he took our flesh, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Heb. 2:14.

As the result of Christ’s work, something is to be changed. What is it?—First, our characters: “But we all . . . are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” 2 Cor. 3:18. Second, our bodies are changed. “We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.” Phil. 3:20, 21.

It thus becomes evident from the teaching of the Scriptures that Christ came to abolish, not the law, but death; to take away, not the

law, but our sins; to destroy, not the law, but the devil and his works; to change, not the law, but us. He did all this “by the sacrifice of himself.” If the law could have been changed or abolished, Christ need not have died.

Thus the Gospel is God’s provision not merely for fulfilling the requirements of the law for us in Christ, but also fulfilling the requirements of the same law in us, and this is accomplished by receiving Christ, the very embodiment of the law, into our hearts by faith, so that it is no longer I that live “but Christ liveth in me.” Gal. 2:20. The fruit of such a union with Christ is seen in a life which is in harmony with the same law which was the inspiration of his life. This brings us to the conclusion that

The Gospel Is Simply the Law in Christ, and therefore an attempt to abolish the law is an attempt to abolish Christ and the Gospel, and an attempt to change the law is an attempt to change the character of Christ and to thwart the purposes of the Gospel. A heart filled with love to Christ and the Spirit of Truth will seek no such results, but will thankfully say, “Abundant peace have they who love thy law; and it is no stumbling-block to them.”

W. W. PRESCOTT.